System and method for automatically releasing collections of goods for shipment

ABSTRACT

A method for shipping items from a distribution facility according to customer orders may include a step of determining that the distribution facility contains all items requested in a customer order. The method may also include a step of determining that the requested items are a less-than-trailer-load (LTL) shipment. In response to determining that the distribution facility contains the requested items, a determination may be made as to whether sufficient pallet-build squares are available in the distribution facility to accommodate the requested items. In response to determining that sufficient pallet-build squares are available, the requested items may be automatically transported to an LTL dock in the distribution facility via one or more of the available pallet-build squares.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is related to copending application Ser. No.______ filed Mar. 5, 2001 entitled SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATEDMANAGEMENT OF A DISTRIBUTION FACILITY filed by Richard M. Williams etal.; and copending application Ser. No. ______ filed Mar. 5, 2001entitled SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SHIPPING ITEMS FROM A DISTRIBUTIONFACILITY filed by Mark A. Pape et al.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates in general to methods and systemsfor manufacturing and shipping goods. In particular, the presentdisclosure relates to facilities and methods for manufacturing and/orshipping goods such as computer systems according to customer orders.

BACKGROUND

[0003] Many years ago, manufacturers learned that, when buildingsufficiently large quantities of identical products, assembly linescould be used to increase production rates and decrease per-unitproduction costs. In an assembly line, the assembly process is dividedin a series of processing steps through which the work-in-process movesto result in the end product or finished product. These steps may beoptimized, and once the manufacturing system becomes operational it willbuild a number of end products with the same configuration using theoptimized steps.

[0004] Assembly lines are typically used in a build-to-stock productionmodel, where large quantities of identical products are manufactured inanticipation of forecasted demand. The manufactured products are thenwarehoused until that demand is realized. Build-to-stock manufacturingsystems are therefore primarily suited to markets in which manufacturerscan accurately predict customer demand.

[0005] In many markets, however, predicting customer demand is risky, atbest. For example, in the market for computer systems and related items,technological improvements are realized so frequently and componentprices change so rapidly that it is difficult to accurately predict howlarge the market for any particular product will ultimately be. As aresult, when manufacturers in industries like information technologyutilize the build-to-stock model, those manufacturers frequently findthemselves with stocks of manufactured goods that are difficult orimpossible to market at a profit (i.e., with stale inventory).

[0006] A contrasting model of production that helps manufacturers avoidthe stale-inventory problem is the build-to-order model. According tothe build-to-order model, each product is assembled only after receivinga customer order for that product. In response to receiving the customerorder, the manufacturer builds the product according to the order.

[0007] For purposes of this document, a product that is manufactured“according to” a customer order is a product that is (1) manufactured inresponse to a specific order from a customer and (2) manufactured tohave the features specified in that order. With regard to shipping,items that are shipped “according to” a customer order are items thatare shipped in such a manner that all of the items arrive at thelocation specified in the order within the time specified in the order.

[0008] A disadvantage traditionally associated with the build-to-ordermodel is that more time is required to fill orders, since the productsmust be manufactured, not simply taken from stock. Another disadvantageis that build-to-order manufacturing systems are typically lessefficient than build-to-stock manufacturing systems, which drives up thecost of products that are built to order. Accordingly, build-to-ordersystems have typically been utilized in markets for luxury items, suchas tailored clothing, and markets in which a paucity of manufacturersleaves consumers with little choice but to bear the high prices anddelays that are generally passed down by build-to-order manufacturers.

[0009] Some manufacturers have attempted to minimize the delaysassociated with the build-to-order model by maintaining a significantinventory of the materials required for production (e.g., the componentsthat are assembled to create the finished goods). Simply carrying suchan inventory, however, imposes costs on manufacturers, including thecosts associated with warehousing the material. Furthermore, in marketswhere product innovations occur rapidly, such material oftentimes becomestale.

[0010] For example, in contemporary times, the market for computersystems (including, without limitation, mini-computers, mainframecomputers, personal computers, servers, work stations, portables, handheld systems, and other data processing systems) has been marked by highand increasing rates of product innovation. Further, to manufacture, forexample, a typical personal computer, many different components arerequired, including a processor, memory, additional data storage (suchas a hard disk drive), a number of peripheral devices that provide inputand output (I/O) for the system, and adapter cards (such as video orsound cards) for communicating with the peripheral devices. Each ofthose components is also typically available in many differentvariations. In such markets, even if using the build-to-order model,manufacturers risk significant losses when carrying significantinventories of material.

[0011] Also, it is difficult to optimize build-to-order manufacturingfacilities in terms of labor requirements and space requirements, assuch facilities must be able to produce of a wide variety of products.However, in markets where many manufacturers are competing forcustomers, such as the computer system market, any reduction inproduction costs that does not decrease product quality is an importantimprovement.

[0012] Among the cost-saving measures that a manufacturer may employ isto follow the direct-ship model, in which the manufacturer avoidsmiddlemen such as distributors and retailers by accepting ordersdirectly from and shipping products directly to customers. However,additional costs are borne by a manufacture that provides a direct-shipoption, in that the manufacture must provide distribution facilities, inaddition to providing the manufacturing facilities.

SUMMARY

[0013] The present disclosure relates to a manufacturing facility thatprovides build-to-order products and direct shipment of products tocustomers. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to amanufacturing facility that is constructed and operated in such a manneras to enjoy numerous benefits, relative to prior art manufacturingfacilities, including the benefit of reduced production costs andinventory costs. In addition, the present disclosure relates to systemsand methods that may be utilized to advantage in a distributionfacility, independent of the manufacturing process.

[0014] According to the present disclosure, a method for shipping itemsfrom a distribution facility according to customer orders may include astep of determining that the distribution facility contains all itemsrequested in a customer order. The method may also include a step ofdetermining that the requested items are a less-than-trailer-load (LTL)shipment. In response to determining that the distribution facilitycontains the requested items, a determination may be made as to whethersufficient pallet-build squares are available in the distributionfacility to accommodate the requested items. In response to determiningthat sufficient pallet-build squares are available, the requested itemsmay be automatically transported to an LTL dock in the distributionfacility via one or more of the available pallet-build squares.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] The present disclosure and its numerous objects, features, andadvantages may be better understood by reference to the followingdescription of an illustrative embodiment, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

[0016]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a manufacturing facility forproducing products such as computer systems in a build-to-order fashion;

[0017]FIG. 2 is a block diagram of one embodiment of a manufacturingfacility according to the present disclosure;

[0018]FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the shipping unit of FIG. 2;

[0019]FIG. 4 is a block diagram depicting an illustrative manufacturingcontrol system for the manufacturing facility depicted in FIG. 2;

[0020]FIGS. 5A and 5B depict a flow chart of an exemplary process thatrelates to releasing goods for shipment;

[0021]FIG. 6 is a block diagram depicting a portion of the LTL unit ofFIG. 3;

[0022]FIGS. 7A and 7B depict a flow chart of an exemplary process forloading goods onto pallets;

[0023]FIG. 8 is a block diagram of an LTL dock according to FIG. 3;

[0024]FIGS. 9A and 9B depict a flow chart of an exemplary process fortendering pallets to a carrier; and

[0025]FIG. 10 is a flowchart of an exemplary process for tenderingparcels to a carrier.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026]FIG. 1 depicts a prior art manufacturing facility 10 for buildingproducts according to customer orders and shipping goods directly tocustomers. This particular manufacturing facility 10 is designed toproduce computer systems, which may be shipped to customers togetherwith associated articles, such as speakers, printers, docking stationsfor portable computers (e.g., advanced port replicators (APRs)),monitors, etc. The computer systems themselves are assembled fromcomponents such as motherboards, central processing units (CPUs), videocards, network cards, hard disk drives, floppy disk drives, CD-ROMdrives, memory, chassis, etc.

[0027] Manufacturing facility 10 includes an assembly unit 12, whichcontains a number of assembly lines where system assembly takes place ina series of operations. In particular, the components are transportedthrough and processed in at least five separate stations, beginning witha kitting station 20, where the components required for each system arecollected together to form a kit for that system. The kit of componentsis transported to an assembly station 22, where the hardware componentsare assembled to form the computer system. The computer system is thentransported down the assembly line to a burn-in station 24, wheresoftware is loaded onto the computer system and system tests areperformed. The system is then transported further down the assembly lineto a wipe-down station 26, where the system is cleaned and additionaltests may be performed. The computer system is then transported to aboxing station 28 within a shipping unit 30 of manufacturing facility10, where the system is boxed in preparation for shipping.

[0028] In the prior art manufacturing facility, if a customer orderincludes two or more items (such as a computer system and a monitor),those items are collected and shipped to the customer together. If acustomer order includes a number of computer systems, one or more ofthose systems may be temporarily stored in an automated storage andretrieval system (ASRS) 32, until all of the items in the order areready for shipment.

[0029] Shipping unit 30 of prior art manufacturing facility 10 includesa parcel unit 34 and a less-than-trailer-load (LTL) unit 36. Relativelysmall orders are shipped to customers via parcel carriers through parcelunit 34, and customers via LTL carriers through the LTL unit 36.Specifically, for each order that will be shipped via an LTL carrier,the decision as to when to transport the ordered items to a dock is madeby an operator. That is to say, LTL orders are released manually. Theoperator makes the decision after determining which products are storedin ASRS 32, which articles have been received, and which carriers are atdock doors and have space available.

[0030] Referring now to FIG. 2, there is illustrated a high-level blockdiagram of an exemplary manufacturing facility 40 for manufacturingproducts according to customer orders. In the exemplary embodiment,manufacturing facility 40 is used to manufacture computers, which areshipped directly to customers, along with associated articles (such asmonitors, etc). As previously noted, manufacturing facility 10 alsomanufacturers and directly ships computers to customers. However, asdescribed below, manufacturing facility 40 is operated according to anew process and includes significant architectural enhancements, newhardware, and new control logic that provides increased quality andefficiency.

[0031] Manufacturing facility 40 preferably resides in a building thatincludes an assembly unit 42 and a shipping unit 44. Assembly unit 42may include a kitting facility 50, a build facility 52, and a packagingor boxing facility 54. Products may be manufactured in assembly unit 42according to customer orders and then transported to shipping unit 44.Specifically, components from kitting facility 50 may be assembled intoproducts in build facility 52 and packaged in boxing facility 54.Preferably, a tracking label with unique identifying information foreach product is applied to the packaged product in boxing facility 54.The packaged products (hereinafter referred to simply as products) maythen be transported to shipping unit 44.

[0032] Shipping unit 44 may also receive products (e.g., computers) thatwere assembled at other facilities via docks (not shown) in exteriorwall 45. Such external products preferably also include tracking labelsthat uniquely identify each product. Also, shipping unit 44 may receivearticles that are to be delivered to customers together with products.Such articles may be temporarily stored in an article-staging area 60 atthe lower edge of shipping unit 44 near assembly unit 42. Preferably,shipping unit 44 also includes an ASRS 62 for holding products (andpossibly other items) when necessary or convenient to the shippingprocess, as described in greater detail below.

[0033] As is also described in greater detail below, items in smallorders (i.e., orders requesting few products and articles) may beshipped from shipping unit 44 directly to customers via a parcel unit 66adjacent to exterior wall 49. Items in large orders may be loaded ontopallets in an LTL unit 64 and then shipped directly to customers via LTLdocks 102 (FIG. 3). For the purposes of this document, the termsless-than-trailer-load and LTL refer to any mode of shipping in whichshippers tender shipments to carriers on pallets, including thefull-trailer-load mode of shipping. Shipping unit 44 may also beconsidered a distribution facility. Also, parcel unit 66 and LTL unit 64may be referred to as distribution stations.

[0034] Speedway

[0035] Referring now to FIG. 4, in the illustrated embodiment, manymanagement decisions for the manufacturing process and most of theinformation regarding the location and status of the various devices,materials, and other inputs and outputs of the manufacturing process aremade and collected in an automatic manner by one or more manufacturingcontrol systems, hereinafter referred to collectively as themanufacturing control system 400. For example, manufacturing controlsystem 400 may include one or more interlinked data processing systems402, including input devices such as barcode scanners 404, scales 406,keyboards 408, etc.; output devices such as displays 410, printers 412,electronic data interchange (EDI) ports 414, transportation-devicecontrollers 416, etc; and storage devices 418 such as hard drives, tapesystems, optical data storage devices, etc. To reduce visual complexity,not all I/O devices and storage device are shown in FIG. 4.

[0036] The manufacturing control system also preferably includes controllogic, which may be implemented as one or more control programs,subprograms, scripts, etc. Portions of manufacturing control system 400related to particular tasks may be referred to as subsystems. Forexample, the logic and hardware (including the computer or computers andthe mechanical devices in communication therewith) that provideautomated material movement within ASRS 62 may be referred to as an ASRSsubsystem 420. Logic and hardware that provide automated materialmovement between and through different areas of manufacturing facility40 may be referred to as a transportation subsystem 430. Logic andhardware that provide for data entry, data analysis, and other featuresfor processing customer order data may be referred to as anorder-management subsystem 440. Logic and hardware for determiningshipping rates for different carriers under different conditions may bereferred to as a rate subsystem 450.

[0037] In the illustrative embodiment, interactions between some or allof the above subsystems are managed by logic and hardware that may bereferred to as a speedway subsystem 460. The management functions may beexercised via direct connection to the subsystems, or via indirectconnections. For example, speedway subsystem 460 may supervise ASRSsubsystem 420 through an intermediate controls subsystem 470. Along withsupervisory functions, speedway subsystem 460 also provides messagebrokering, to facilitate communications between subsystems withdifferent communications protocols. As a message broker, speedwaysubsystem 460 translates output from the various subsystems as necessaryto provide valid input to other subsystems. By supervising andcoordinating the other subsystems and providing a communications gatewaybetween the subsystems, speedway subsystem 460 allows manufacturingcontrol system 400 to be implemented as an integration of subsystems. Inaddition, speedway subsystem 460 is not limited to interacting with thesubsystems mentioned above, but may also interact with other systems,including, without limitation, systems external to manufacturingfacility 40.

[0038] A number of determinations are described below as being made bymanufacturing control system 400. As will be evident to those ofordinary skill in the art, most or all of those determinations are madeautomatically and with reference to databases that reflect the currentstate of the production environment. For example, many determinationsare made by reference to one or more databases that identify whichproducts are ready for shipment, which articles have been received,which carrier vehicles are present, and how much capacity those vehicleshave available. Most or all of those databases are preferably withinmanufacturing control system 400, (e.g., on storage devices 418) butsome may alternatively be maintained externally.

[0039] Although the above components of manufacturing control system 400are primarily referred to herein as subsystems, they may also bereferred to as systems. Also, some or all of those systems may becapable of operating independently of the others, and some of thesystems may be available for purchase individually as independentsystems or applications from various software distributors. Also,portion of two or more subsystems may cooperate in serving particularfunctions, and such combinations of subsystems may also be referred toas systems or subsystems. For example, multiple subsystems mightcooperate to provide for dynamic construction of bills of lading, andthe portions of those subsystems that cooperate could be considered avirtual bill-of-lading system.

[0040] Order Release

[0041] Referring now to FIGS. 5A and 5B, an exemplary process formanaging shipping unit 44 is depicted. The process begins at block 600with manufacturing control system 400 monitoring conditions withinmanufacturing facility 40 via various input devices. The process thenpasses to block 602, which shows manufacturing control system 400automatically beginning a process of determining whether a customerorder is fillable. The determination may be made, for example, inresponse to a scanner reading a barcode on a tracking label of a productthat is entering shipping unit 44 from assembly unit 42 or from anotherfactory. Likewise, the determination may be made in response to operatorinput or scanner input indicating that additional articles have beenreceived, or in response to other types of manufacturing events. Thedetermination may also or alternatively be made at predetermined timeintervals.

[0042] Specifically, with reference to FIG. 3, in the illustrativeembodiment, manufacturing control system 400 includes a receivingscanner 90, which monitors a distribution conveyor 78 that bringsproducts from assembly unit 42 into shipping unit 44. In theillustrative embodiment, as each product passes by receiving scanner 90,receiving scanner 90 reads a barcode on that product's tracking label,updates one or more databases to reflect the current location of thescanned product, and triggers the automatic process for determiningwhether to release an order (i.e., whether to transport the items in theorder to parcel unit 66 or LTL unit 64 for shipment).

[0043] In the order-release determination, one or more of the currentlypending orders and one or more of the currently available products arecompared to determine whether all of the products in an order areavailable for shipping, for example by reference to databases whichidentify the pending orders and the products that shipping unit 44 hasalready received (block 602). If the available products are insufficientto satisfy any of the orders, the process returns to a point above block602, for example to wait for another manufacturing event or theexpiration of another time interval.

[0044] If the products required for an order are available,manufacturing control system 400 may then determine whether the order isstill active (e.g., has not been canceled or suspended by the customer)(block 604). This step is preferably performed at least when theprevious determination was triggered by a product entering shipping unit44, since, in such a case the order requirements may have beenconsidered without first evaluating whether the order was still active.If the order is no longer active and an incoming product triggered theevaluation, manufacturing control system 400 may divert that product toASRS 62 (block 606).

[0045] If the order is still active, manufacturing control system 400may determine whether all required articles for the order are available(for example, by reference to a database indicating how many articles ofeach type are present and not already allocated to another order inmanufacturing facility 40) (block 608). If insufficient articles arepresent and an incoming product triggered the evaluation, manufacturingcontrol system 400 may divert that product to ASRS 62 (block 606).

[0046] If the required articles are available, the order is consideredfillable, and the process passes to block 610, which illustratesmanufacturing control system 400 determining whether the shipment is anLTL shipment (i.e., whether the shipment is to be shipped via an LTLcarrier) (block 610). This determination may be made by reference toresources such as rate subsystem 450, order-management subsystem 440,and/or one or more databases within speedway subsystem 460. If the orderis not an LTL shipment, manufacturing control system 400 preferablyselects a parcel carrier for the shipment by reference to one or moredatabases of order information and/or through the assistance of ratesubsystem 450 (block 612). Manufacturing control system 400 thendetermines whether the selected carrier has a vehicle present at a dockdoor with available capacity to accept the shipment (block 614).

[0047] As utilized herein, the term vehicle should be understood toinclude any type of shipping container, including, for example, tractortrailers. The capacities of the available vehicles may be entered intomanufacturing control system 400 when those vehicles are first receivedat the dock doors. Entries may also be made indicating which vehicleshave arrived. Manufacturing control system 400 may revise the data foravailable capacity as items are loaded.

[0048] If an appropriate vehicle with sufficient capacity is notavailable and an incoming product triggered the evaluation, the productmay be diverted to ASRS 62. However, if an appropriate vehicle withsufficient capacity is available, the order is considered shippable, andmanufacturing control system 400 then releases the order. As depicted atblock 615, when a parcel order is released, manufacturing control system400 preferable prints the shipping labels to be applied to the items inthe shipment (block 615), as described in greater detail below.Manufacturing control system 400 preferably also transports the productthat triggered the release determination (if any) and any other productsfor the order (including those stored in ASRS 62), as well as anyarticles for the order, to the parcel dock at which the carrier vehiclewas found (block 616). Manufacturing control system 400 preferably alsoupdates the status of the order in one or more databases to flag theorder as having been released. The process may then return to a pointabove block 602 to await another manufacturing event or the expirationof another time interval.

[0049] However, referring again to block 610, if the order is an LTLshipment, the process passes through page connector A to block 620,which indicates that manufacturing control system 400 may then performpre-cubing calculations, in which it is estimated how many pallets willbe required to accommodate all of the items in the order. Thatestimation may be based on one or more databases that list thedimensions and/or weight for each different type of item (e.g., by modelnumber). Alternatively, weights might be obtained by actually weighingpackaged items, either manually or, preferably, automatically, forexample utilizing one or more scales 406 incorporated into one or moretransportation devices within manufacturing facility 40.

[0050] After the number of pallets has been estimated, manufacturingcontrol system 400 selects an optimum carrier for the shipment (block622). That selection may be based on shipment data, including theestimated number of pallets required and the total weight of theshipment (which may be calculated based on information obtainedautomatically from scales within transportation systems of manufacturingfacility 40). The selection preferably also considers rules establishedby the manufacturer regarding which carriers are preferred or requiredin various situations. The selection process may also utilize theassistance of rate subsystem 450.

[0051] Manufacturing control system 400 may then determine whether theidentified carrier has a vehicle present with sufficient capacity toaccommodate the shipment (block 624). If no such carrier vehicle ispresent, manufacturing control system 400 may divert the product to ASRS62 (block 626).

[0052] However, if a satisfactory vehicle is present, manufacturingcontrol system 400 may determine whether sufficient pallet-build squares100 are available to receive the items in the shipment (block 630). Thisdetermination may be made by reference to a database that may bemaintained by manufacturing control system 400. For example, a list ofall currently available pallet-build squares may be stored withinspeedway system 460 on storage device 418 (FIG. 4). If sufficientpallet-build squares 100 are not available, manufacturing control system400 may divert the product to ASRS 62 (block 626).

[0053] If sufficient pallet-build squares 100 are available, however,manufacturing control system 400 preferably executes a cubing algorithm,in which each item (e.g., each separate package) in a shipment isassigned to a particular pallet at a particular pallet station 98 (block632), based on factors that are the same as or similar to those utilizedin the pre-cubing algorithm. In response to assigning items to pallets,manufacturing control system 400 preferably prints the shipping labelsto be applied to the items in the shipment (block 634) and transportsthe items to LTL unit 64 (block 640).

[0054] The illustrated process may then be repeated numerous times, asindicated by page connector B. According to the above process,manufacturing control system 400 may wait until an order is shippablebefore selecting the carrier for that order. By waiting until the orderis actually shippable before selecting the carrier, manufacturingcontrol system 400 may avoid speculating as to how much time remainsuntil the expected delivery date. Knowing the precise time of shipmentand the expected delivery date allows for more cost-effective carrierselection. Manufacturing control system 400 also may identify thecarrier on the shipping label, since manufacturing control system 400preferably does not print the shipping label until after the carrier hasbeen selected.

[0055] Illustrative facilities relating to the steps for adding shippinglabels (blocks 615 and 634 of FIGS. 5A and 5B) are depicted in FIG. 3.For example, article-staging area 60 may includes a number of articlezones 70. Each article zone 70 may includes one or more article lanes72, and each article lane 72 may store peripherals of a particularvariety. In addition, each article zone 70 preferably includes a zoneprinter 74.

[0056] When LTL orders and parcel orders are released, if the ordersincludes articles, manufacturing control system 400 automatically printsshipping label for those articles, using the zone printers 74 in thearticle zones 70 that contain the ordered articles. When a shippinglabel is printed, an operator takes the printed label, applies it to thearticle identified on the label, and deposits the labeled article on anarticle conveyor 76 for transport to an outgoing dock. For example, ifan article lane within article zone 70 contains a particular variety ofmonitor, the zone printer within article zone 70 will print a shippinglabel for that type of monitor whenever an order listing such a monitoris released. Accordingly, each article zone 70 may also be called alabeling station for articles or an article-labeling station 70.

[0057] As with parcel orders, when an LTL order is released, if anyproducts for that order are stored in ASRS 62, manufacturing controlsystem 400 will preferably automatically discharge those products fromASRS 62 (e.g., by sending directions to ASRS system 420, via controlsdirector 470, to move the products from internal storage to distributionconveyor 78). After the order is released, shipping labels are alsoapplied to the ordered products.

[0058] Specifically, for both parcel shipments and LTL shipments,products from ASRS 62, products coming directly from the externalproduct docks, and products coming directly from assembly unit 42 areall transported through labeling stations for products 65 on the way toLTL unit 64 or parcel unit 66. Preferably, the shipping labels for theproducts are printed and applied in an area of manufacturing facility 40that is separate from the area in which labels are printed for andapplied to articles. For example, in the illustrated embodiment,product-labeling stations 65 are located in a central region of shippingunit 44, while article-labeling stations 70 are located in articlestaging area 60. Distributing the function of printing and applyinglabels to separate areas for articles and assembled products providesthe benefit of reducing a bottleneck in the flow of products andarticles to the shipping docks, relative to prior art direct-shipfacilities. Distribution conveyor 78 is split into two labeling-lanes78A and 78B to address the reduced velocity experienced in applyingshipping labels, relative to other procedures in shipping unit 44.

[0059] After the items have received shipping labels, manufacturingcontrol system 400 preferably scans those labels to obtain a currentlocation for each item, which facilitates the automatic conveyance ofeach item to LTL unit 64 or parcel unit 66, as appropriate.Specifically, in the illustrative embodiment, article scanner 92monitors article conveyor 76 to track articles received fromarticle-staging area 60, and product scanner 94 monitors productconveyor 78 to track products that received shipping labels from productshipping-label printers 80. Manufacturing control system 400 may utilizedata obtained from various scanners (e.g., receiving scanners 90,article scanner 92, and product scanner 94) to ensure that, for eachorder, all of the ordered items are being shipping and are being shippedtogether. In particular, that data allows manufacturing control system400 to determine where each item is on the various moving conveyors, andmanufacturing control system 400 may include control logic (e.g., withintransportation subsystem 430 and/or speedway subsystem 460) fortransporting each item to a predetermined dock.

[0060] Loading Pallets

[0061] To elaborate on certain facilities and processes relating toblock 640 of FIG. 5B, FIG. 6 depicts a portion of LTL unit 64 in greaterdetail. As shown, LTL unit 64 may include a number of pallet-buildstations 98, each of which may contain one or more pallet-build squares100, an item scanner 99, and a display 103. Each pallet-build square 100preferably supports one pallet. In addition, LTL unit 64 may include oneor more stretch-wrap machines 107 for wrapping loaded pallets and one ormore pallet conveyors 105 for transporting loaded pallets frompallet-build squares 100 to stretch-wrap machine 107. For eachstretch-wrap machine, LTL unit 64 preferably also includes apallet-label printer 101, which prints a unique label for each pallet,to be applied to the pallet after the pallet is wrapped.

[0062] Referring now also to FIGS. 7A and 7B, an exemplary process forhandling items within LTL unit 64 is depicted. That process begins atblock 700 with an LTL order having been released and an item for thatorder having been diverted into LTL unit 64 (see FIG. 5B, block 640). Asshown at block 701 of FIG. 7A, manufacturing control system 400 thendiverts the item to its assigned pallet-build station. An operator maythen utilize item scanner 99 to scan a barcode on the shipping label ofthe item (block 702), and manufacturing control system 400 may respondto the scan by updating display 103 to advise the operator of the properpallet-build square 100 for the scanned item (block 704). The operatormay then place the item on the indicated pallet (block 706). Preferably,the operator then scans a barcode on or associated with that pallet(block 708), and manufacturing control system 400 responds by updatingorder status and pallet status data (block 709) and displayingconfirmation, on display 103, that the item was added to the properpallet (block 710). As indicated at block 712, manufacturing controlsystem 400 may then determine whether the load is complete (i.e.,whether all items assigned to that pallet-build square have been addedto the pallet). If the load is not complete, the preceding steps may berepeated upon the receipt of additional items into LTL unit 64. However,if the load is complete, manufacturing control system 400 may updatedisplay 103 to so indicate (block 714).

[0063] The operator may then operate an eject control (not shown) tocause manufacturing control system 400 to update status data (block 722)and convey the loaded pallet to stretch-wrap machine 107 (block 724).Preferably, however, before manufacturing control system 400 ejects thepallet onto pallet conveyor 105, manufacturing control system 400 checksthe pallet status data to verify that the load is complete (block 720).If the load is incomplete, the preceding steps may be repeated upon thedelivery of another item to LTL unit 64, as indicated by page connectorB. Also, when transporting pallets to stretch-wrap machine 107,manufacturing control system 400 may manage ejections from palletsquares to prevent pallet collisions.

[0064] After being ejected and conveyed to stretch-wrap machine 107, theloaded pallet may then be wrapped and then staged for retrieval by aforklift (block 726). When a forklift operator sees the staged pallet,the operator preferably utilizes a pallet scanner 109 to scan a shippinglabel or tracking label barcode (block 728) and, in response,manufacturing control system 400 may update status data and print apallet label on printer 101 for the forklift operator to apply to thepallet to uniquely identify that pallet (block 730). The process ofloading or building that particular pallet then ends (block 732).

[0065] Manufacturing control system 400 thus drastically reduces thelikelihood that a wrapped pallet will contain improper items or will notcontain every item assigned to that pallet.

[0066] Tendering LTL Shipments

[0067] With reference now to FIG. 8, an exemplary LTL dock 102 isdepicted in greater detail. Shown waiting at an open dock door (notillustrated) is a carrier vehicle 104 (e.g., a highway trailer). Alsoillustrated is a forklift 106 that is equipped with a forklift scanner112 and a display 113.

[0068] Referring now also to FIGS. 9A and 9B, an exemplary process fortendering pallets to a carrier is depicted. That process may begin atblock 800 with a pallet have been wrapped and labeled (see FIG. 7B,block 730). The forklift operator may then take the wrapped pallet withforklift 106 (block 802) and scan a barcode on the pallet label withforklift scanner 112 (block 804). In response, manufacturing controlsystem 400 may automatically update display 113 to identify the LTL dockthat is expecting the pallet (block 806). The forklift operator may thentransport the pallet to the indicated LTL dock 102 (block 808) anddeposits the pallet (for example, pallet 108 in FIG. 4) in apallet-staging area 110.

[0069] Preferably, pallet-staging area 110 is approximately fifty-sixinches square, to accommodate a single pallet. (The standard size forpallets is forty inches by forty-eight inches, but pallets measuringforty-eight inches square and those measuring fifty-four inches squareare not uncommon). Accordingly, pallet-staging area 110 preferablyoccupies approximately twenty-two square feet of floor space within LTLdock 102. Alternatively, pallet-staging area 100 may be sized toaccommodate a second pallet while the first pallet is being inspected.For some facilities, pallet-staging area 100 preferably occupies no morethan twenty-five square feet of floor space.

[0070] After depositing pallet 108, the forklift operator may utilizeforklift scanner 112 to scan a location barcode for LTL dock 102 (block810), and manufacturing control system 400 may respond by automaticallyupdating status data (block 812) and modifying a display 115 to show apallet identifier and a box count (or package count or item count) forpallet 108 (block 814). The pallet may then be tendered to a carrierrepresentative (block 816).

[0071] A carrier representative then may inspect pallet 108 (block 818).Upon determining that the actual box count matches the displayed boxcount, the carrier representative preferably scans the pallet labelutilizing a tender scanner 114 provided within LTL unit 102 specificallyfor that purpose (page connector A to block 820). Manufacturing controlsystem 400 preferably interprets the scan as acceptance of the pallet,updates one or more databases accordingly (block 822), and modifiesdisplay 115 to show that pallet 108 has been accepted (block 824). Forexample, if the pallet identifier and box count are displayed in a rowin a table, the VBOL system may increment a tally column for that rowand/or may highlight or shadow-out that row. Pallet 108 is then movedinto carrier vehicle 104 (block 826), thereby freeing pallet-stagingarea 110 to accommodate the next pallet to be tendered.

[0072] In response to the acceptance scan, manufacturing control system400 may also determine whether the vehicle load is now complete (e.g.,whether the vehicle has received all of the shipments that wereallocated to that vehicle and the vehicle is filled to capacity) (block830). Alternatively, a user may manually update manufacturing controlsystem 400 to indicate that the vehicle load is complete, or the usermay confirm an automatic determination that the load is complete. If theload is not complete, the preceding steps may be repeated upon thearrival of another pallet, as indicated by page connector B.

[0073] However, if manufacturing control system 400 determines that thevehicle load is complete, confirmation of that determination may bedisplay on display 115 (block 832). Also, a physical bill of lading mayautomatically be printed (block 834) (e.g., on a printer 116 within LTLdock 102), and a copy may be provided to the carrier representative(block 836). Manufacturing control system 400 may then determine whethera softcopy (e.g., an electronic copy) has been requested (block 838).For example, the determination may be made in response to user inputrequesting a softcopy. If no softcopy is desired, the process oftendering pallets to the carrier representative may then end, asdepicted at block 842. If a softcopy is desired, an electronic report ofthe shipment may be transmitted to the carrier (block 840) before theprocess ends (block 842). For example, the electronic report may betransmitted via a communications port 118 within LTL dock 102 accordingto a predetermined electronic data interchange (EDI) protocol.

[0074] In prior art distribution systems for LTL shipments, carrierstypically require the shipper to utilize a tendering process in whichall pallets for a shipment are staged together for inspection in thesame area and at the same time. Many prior art processes require thecarrier to verify a total box count for the entire shipment before anyof the pallets are moved into the vehicle. By providing features such asindividual box counts for each pallet and automated safeguards to ensurethat pallets are built properly, the VBOL system of the presentdisclosure renders the prior art approach unnecessary, thereby allowingthe shipper to reduce drastically the floor space required to stagetendered pallets.

[0075] Tendering Parcel Shipments

[0076] As depicted in FIG. 3, parcel unit 66 preferably includes anumber of parcel docks 660. Each parcel dock 660 may include a display662 and a parcel scanner 664. FIG. 10 depicts a process for tenderingitems to parcel carriers. The illustrated process begins at block 850with manufacturing control system 400 deciding to send items to acarrier at a particular parcel dock 660 (see FIG. 5A, block 616).Preferably, once that decision has been made, manufacturing controlsystem 400 updates display 662 at the selected parcel dock 660 to show alist of the items that have been assigned to the vehicle at that parceldock 660 (block 852). Typically, that list may include all of the itemsin the order that is being released.

[0077] As items arrive at the selected parcel dock 660, they aretendered to a carrier representative (e.g., the truck driver) (block854). The carrier representative may then utilize parcel scanner 664 toscan the shipping label on each tendered item (block 856) to signifyacceptance of the tendered items. In response, manufacturing controlsystem 400 preferably modifies status data for the scanned items (e.g.,within order-management subsystem 440 and/or speedway subsystem 460) toshow the scanned items as having been accepted by the carrier (block858) and updates display 662 to show the items as accepted (for example,by changing the display intensity for those items, relative to listeditems that have not been accepted and/or adding tallies to rows for theaccepted items) (block 860).

[0078] Manufacturing control system 400 may then determine whether thevehicle load is complete, for example in a manner like that describedabove with reference to block 830 of FIG. 9B (block 862). If the vehicleload is not complete, the above steps may be repeated, as indicated bythe arrow returning to block 854. If the load is complete, however,manufacturing control system 400 determines whether one or morehardcopies of the manifest for the vehicle are desired (block 864). Ifso, manufacturing control system 400 may print those manifests on aprinter 666 (block 866).

[0079] Manufacturing control system 400 may then determine whether asoftcopy should be provided to the carrier (block 868). If not, theprocess of tendering parcel may end (block 872). If, however, a softcopyhas been requested, manufacturing control system 400 may transmit thatsoftcopy to the carrier, for example via an EDI port 668, (block 870)before the process ends (block 872).

[0080] The electronic records of which items were actually accepted bythe carrier are preferably stored in one or more databases for futurereference, for example to advise customers of actual ship dates and todetermine liability in the event that a customer receives an incompleteorder.

[0081] Conclusion

[0082] Numerous features of an illustrative manufacturing facility aredescribed above. As those familiar with manufacturing and distributionprocesses will appreciate, a manufacturing facility according to thepresent disclosure may enjoy numerous benefits, relative to prior artmanufacturing systems. Those benefits may include reduced overallproduction costs and increased responsiveness, productivity, andreliability. For example, features such as those that provide for theautomatic release of LTL orders result in more rapid shipment of orders,which reduces the average amount of inventory carried in themanufacturing facility, relative to prior art facilities. Less space istherefore required to accommodate inventory. Furthermore, according tothe disclosed processes for tendering shipments to carriers, quality andreliability are improved, in that shipments are more likely to containall of the ordered items and nothing but the ordered items. It will alsobe evident to those of ordinary skill in the art that many of theadvantages of the present disclosure may be utilized to advantage in adistribution facility, independent of the manufacturing process.

[0083] Furthermore, although the present invention has been describedwith reference to an illustrative embodiment, those with ordinary skillin the art will understand that numerous variations of the illustrativeembodiment could be practiced without departing from the scope of thepresent disclosure. For example, although the control logic forperforming the tasks described above may reside on various data storagedevices in the illustrative embodiment, some or all of the control logiccould be encoded on more portable computer usable media including,without limitation, magnetic media, optical media, and radio, microwave,and electrical transmissions. The control logic or portions thereof mayalso be referred to as program products.

[0084] The present invention is not limited to the specificallydisclosed embodiments but is defined by the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for shipping items from a distributionfacility according to customer orders, the method comprising:determining that the distribution facility contains all items requestedin a customer order; determining that the requested items are aless-than-trailer-load (LTL) shipment; in response to determining thatthe distribution facility contains the requested items, automaticallydetermining whether sufficient pallet-build squares are available in thedistribution facility to accommodate the requested items; and inresponse to determining that sufficient pallet-build squares areavailable, automatically transporting the requested items to an LTL dockin the distribution facility via one or more of the availablepallet-build squares.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step ofautomatically transporting the requested items to an LTL dock comprises:determining that an automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS) withinthe distribution facility contains one or more of the requested items;and in response to determining that the ASRS contains one or more of therequested items, automatically transporting the one or more requesteditems from the ASRS to the LTL dock.
 3. The method of claim 1, whereinthe step of determining that the distribution facility contains allrequested items is performed automatically in response to amanufacturing event.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the manufacturingevent comprises at least one event selected from the group consistingof: detecting that assembly of a product for an order has beencompleted; detecting that assembly of all products for an order has beencompleted; detecting that the distribution facility has received aproduct for an order; detecting that the distribution facility hasreceived all products for an order; detecting that the distributionfacility has received an article for an order; and detecting that thedistribution facility has received all articles for an order.
 5. Adistribution facility that ships items according to customer orders, thedistribution facility comprising: two or more pallet-build squares; aless-than-trailer-load (LTL) dock; and a control system that: determinesthat the distribution facility contains all items requested in acustomer order; determines that the requested items are to be aless-than-trailer-load (LTL) shipment; in response to determining thatthe distribution facility contains the requested items, automaticallydetermines whether sufficient pallet-build squares among the two or morepallet-build squares are available to accommodate the requested items;and in response to determining that sufficient pallet-build squares areavailable, automatically transports the requested items to the LTL dockvia one or more of the available pallet-build squares.
 6. Thedistribution facility of claim 5, further comprising an automatedstorage and retrieval system (ASRS) from which the control systemobtains one or more of the requested items.
 7. The distribution facilityof claim 6, wherein the control system comprises: at least one inputdevice that detects at least one manufacturing event, the control systemdetermining that the distribution facility contains all requested itemsautomatically, in response to the at least one input device detectingthe at least one manufacturing event.
 8. The distribution facility ofclaim 7, wherein the at least one input device comprises a barcodescanner.
 9. A manufacturing facility comprising: an assembly unit thatassembles products according to customer orders a distribution facilitythat includes: two or more pallet-build squares; aless-than-trailer-load (LTL) dock; and a control system that: determinesthat the distribution facility contains all items requested in acustomer order; determines that the requested items are aless-than-trailer-load (LTL) shipment; in response to determining thatthe distribution facility contains the requested items, automaticallydetermines whether sufficient pallet-build squares among the two or morepallet-build squares are available to accommodate the requested items;and in response to determining that sufficient pallet-build squares areavailable, automatically transports the requested items to the LTL dockvia one or more of the available pallet-build squares, the requesteditems including assembled products from the assembly unit.
 10. One ormore computer-usable media including encoded logic for use in adistribution facility that ships items according to customer orders, theencoded logic comprising logic that performs the steps of: determiningthat the distribution facility contains all items requested in acustomer order; determining that the requested items are aless-than-trailer-load (LTL) shipment; automatically determining whethersufficient pallet-build squares are available in the distributionfacility to accommodate the requested items; and automaticallytransporting the requested items to an LTL dock in the distributionfacility via one or more of the available pallet-build squares.
 11. Theone or more computer-usable media of claim 10, wherein the logic thatautomatically transports the requested items to an LTL dock compriseslogic that performs the steps of: determining that an automated storageand retrieval system (ASRS) within the distribution facility containsone or more of the requested items; and transporting the one or morerequested items from the ASRS to the LTL dock.
 12. The one or morecomputer-usable media of claim 10, wherein the logic determines that thedistribution facility contains all requested items automatically, inresponse to a manufacturing event.
 13. The one or more computer-usablemedia of claim 12, wherein the manufacturing event comprises at leastone event selected from the group consisting of: detecting that assemblyof a product for an order has been completed; detecting that assembly ofall products for an order has been completed; detecting that thedistribution facility has received a product for an order; detectingthat the distribution facility has received all products for an order;detecting that the distribution facility has received an article for anorder; and detecting that the distribution facility has received allarticles for an order.
 14. A data processing system for use in adistribution facility that ships items according to customer orders, thedata processing system comprising: processing resources; andinstructions that, when executed by the processing resources, performthe steps of: determining that the distribution facility contains allitems requested in a customer order; determining that the requesteditems are a less-than-trailer-load (LTL) shipment; in response todetermining that the distribution facility contains the requested items,automatically determining whether sufficient pallet-build squares areavailable in the distribution facility to accommodate the requesteditems; and in response to determining that sufficient pallet-buildsquares are available, automatically transporting the requested items toan LTL dock in the distribution facility via one or more of theavailable pallet-build squares.
 15. The data processing system of claim14, wherein the instructions that automatically transport the requesteditems to an LTL dock comprise instructions that, when executed, performthe steps of: determining that an automated storage and retrieval system(ASRS) within the distribution facility contains one or more of therequested items; and in response to determining that the ASRS containsone or more of the requested items, automatically transporting the oneor more requested items from the ASRS to the LTL dock.
 16. The dataprocessing system of claim 14, further comprising: at least one inputdevice that detects at least one manufacturing event, the dataprocessing system determining that the distribution facility containsall requested items automatically, in response to the at least one inputdevice detecting the at least one manufacturing event.
 17. The dataprocessing system of claim 16, wherein the at least one input devicecomprises a barcode scanner.
 18. The data processing system of claim 17,wherein the manufacturing event indicates that the distribution facilityhas received one of the requested items.
 19. The data processing systemof claim 14, wherein the instructions which determine that the requesteditems are a less-than-trailer-load (LTL) shipment comprise instructionswhich determine that the requested items are a full trailer loadshipment.